Workout Schmerkout

I ran the urbanathalon a couple of weeks ago which turned out to be the most amount of physical activity I have ever done at one period in time.  A year or so ago I could never imagine myself running ten miles let alone ten miles plus obstacles.  It was both challenging and rewarding and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Buuuut...since then I have had absolutely no motivation to workout.  This is changing tomorrow.  I'm writing it down so it's set in stone.  No excuses.  

Home for the Weekend

There's something extremely therapeutic about being home for a weekend.  I's a sort of quiet comfort.  The kind that comes with getting regularly home cooked meals, fresh smelling air, and open space.  It's a nice change of pace from the everyday school in the city kind of life.  Don't get me wrong, I love living in Chicago, but every once in a while I need a break from the fast-paced environment and noisy streets.  I went for a run yesterday through the bike trail and I felt like I was alone running through a forest.  It was amazing.  Different, but equally as awesome as running down the lakefront.  Not to mention, being home is nostalgic and reminds of times when Friday night football games were the most I had to worry about.  I definitely needed this, but it's time to get back to business.

Nail Polish: Currently Wearing

I am obsessed with sparkly nail polish.

Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Grey Area

Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Strobe Light

Saturday Morning Farmer's Market

I absolutely love walking around farmers markets on Saturday mornings to check out locally grown foods and flowers.  I think it's the fact that the sellers care about their product enough to put in time and effort into growing and selling them and are really passionate about offering the best that they can.  I am always willing to put in an extra dollar to support local farmers.  The smell of fresh baked goods and live music also helps the situation.

Anyways, I was excited when I stumbled upon a large farmers market on my way to work.  I had a few extra minutes so I thought I would stop by and check it out.  I knew was going to be working outside for most of the day so I thought that most of the items would't keep throughout work.  However, I did find one of the most amazing products ever...

I've tried out my fair share of lip balms and I go through phases where I want to try out every possible kind that I can.  Nothing compares to this locally made chapstick.  The vendor had over ten different kinds of balms informed me that all of them were made with fresh beeswax.  This one caught my attention pretty quickly.  I love minty chapsticks and this one was made with fresh mint.  For two dollars, I couldn't pass it up.  It glides on smoother than butter while melting into my lips and keeps them hydrated and slightly tingly for extended periods of time.  I love it. It's perfect.  I want to go back and try all of the varieties.

I would definitely recommend checking out a local farmers market.  You never know what you're going to find.

New Beginnings

My first week or so back in the city was both successful and enjoyable.  I met a lot of new people to the point where I can't remember more than half of their names and spent time with some old friends.  Class isn't too stressful yet and I can honestly say that I am liking learning which is something that I wouldn't normally say in the past.  Overall, I'm excited to find out what the rest of the year has to offer.

 giant operation

 korean tacos

 We'll miss you, Thai.  Good luck in Thailand

 My awesome batting skills...I'm pretty sure I missed

 Astronaut food!

 Cooking School!

 Nothing's better than free stuff

 Indian Gypsy Necklace

Structured bag: Urban Outfitters Surplus

White Coat

Tomorrow is my first day of four years of pharmacy school, and have mixed emotions about the idea.  I know that it's going to be challenging so I'm nervous about how I'll be able to do what I need to do while still keeping my sanity and being able to have time for myself and for others.  It's been a while since I put a real effort into studying so it'll be interesting to see how I deal with things.  On the other hand, I'm always up for a challenge, and I'm really excited to meet new people and try new things.  I have the first day jitters.  I freshly painted my nails, checked the alarm clock three times, and will make sure I have everything packed before I go to sleep.  I hope everything goes well.  Anyways, this past Thursday was my white coat ceremony which was supposed to symbolize the beginning of my professional life and was a good segway into school.  Enjoy the pictures!

my sister and her big eyed smile 8 D

Thats me on stage to the left

 

ruixuan

 mi familia

boyfriend

Day Trip: Silver Beach

The only day of the week that my parents are both off is Tuesday so it has sort of become our "family day."  This past Tuesday we took a trip to Silver Beach in Michigan.  It was a gorgeous day, but happened to be too windy to swim so the red flags were up.  There were also dark clouds that passed and we just nearly missed rain.  Regardless, I got to spend some time outside and with my family so I quite enjoyed myself.